𝐇𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐢 『Bakugo Katsuki』

◆Chapter 126◇

Izuku dove towards Akihiko, shielding him with his body, while Miyuki grabbed the figure warping between All for One and Kotaro. The light around her hands surged. When she looked to the side, her body tensed when she saw Nana Shimura helping her.

She was crying.

"I'm sorry, Kotaro... Sakura-chan..."

All for One's eyes widened, part of his vanishing face distorting into Kotaro's for a moment.

"For being such a weak mother and friend. I'm so sorry..."

Fragments of the barrier sprinkled away. Izuku and Miyuki stumbled forward onto the burning grass of a backyard, a little boy weeping within a ring of fire. In one moment he was embracing a dog. Then, in the next he was crying in the ring of fire but inside the house, his hair a shocking white as were the flames dancing around him. Behind them Sakura continued clutching Mini-yuki who hugged her mother with a tear-streaked face.

"Make it... Make it stop," wept younger Akihiko. He got up and stumbled towards his mother, hands engulfed in white fire but his skin did not burn. "I-It hurts... Oka-san..."

"It's okay. It's okay..." the white-haired woman cooed, burning fingers reaching out to her son. "C'mere, Aki. It'll be all better soon, okay? It'll be all better... I promise."

Akihiko's staggering transitioned into a jog. Mini-yuki's face peeked out from her mother's chest. He looked at her, blue eyes filled with tears... and ran faster.

Mini-yuki's eyes widened. Then she moved, escaping Sakura's hold and tackled her brother before he reached her. Zin's eyes blazed with anger. He grabbed her leg, causing her to clench her teeth as she felt the fire sink through her skin into her bone and body, burning everything away like a cleansing flame. Zin tossed her aside. He pounced and this time, a small boy with wild green curls was the one who stopped him. Instantly, his hair darkened and the fire on his left hand darkened with the Decay Quirk. Silver cracks like the ones Miyuki got from her Quirk's side effect streaked up Izuku's arms.

I have to put an end to this! He thought. Blood dribbled from the cracks. We're in a world of memories... I have to keep visualising! Keep holding onto him!

"Why...?!" Tomura squeaked in his younger form. He looked at his sister on the ground. His hair started turning white. "Why do you keep interfering?!"

One for All... and Yuki-Chan brought me here! I'll have to use my own body!

"Because... you're both crying," Izuku said.

"...No..." Zin said, voice trembling. "I... chose... to do that! I helped destroy my home and... m-my Oka-san and Imouto-chan... of my own volition... otherwise, why would I even have these hands... who would be able to explain... the reason why I was born...?!"

Miyuki got up. With one leg charred and flaking away, she threw herself at Akihiko and hugged him from behind as his hair fully regained its colour.

"It hasn't got a thing to do with anybody else," she cried. "Aki-nii... she loved us... she loved the both of us!"

Zin grit his teeth. His hold slackened for a moment. Then, in an instant, he poured more energy into pushing her and Izuku away from him.

"Get the hell... away from Me!"

"It's because someone reached their hand out... and offered it for me to take... that I felt at ease," Miyuki continued. "

"It's why... we're here," Izuku rasped, his arms crumbling up to his shoulders. He and Zin fell to their knees. Miyuki let him go, lost her balance, and knelt beside him, her knee burnt up to her thigh. The scenery around them changed.